Wyre Forest

Wyre Forest's population grew older in the 10 years leading up to the latest census. Data from the census also show there were changes in relationships, housing tenure and work life.

The population reached nearly 98,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of Wyre Forest increased by 1.0%, from just under 97,000 to 98,000.

The addition of almost 1,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Wyre Forest was home to, on average, 3.6 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was similar to the average across the West Midlands

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the West Midlands, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Wyre Forest

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Wyre Forest increased by four years, from 40 to 44 years.

This rural area had a higher average age than the West Midlands and remained older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just over 4,300 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just over 3,000.

About 15% of people in Wyre Forest are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Wyre Forest by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer homes with adult children living with their parents

Wyre Forest saw England's second-largest fall in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents.

In 2011, just over 1 in 10 (10%) households in Wyre Forest had only adult children living with their parents, compared with 11% in 2001. The percentage with at least one child decreased from 29% to 26%.

England's largest decrease in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents occurred in Hinckley and Bosworth (from 11% to 9.7%).

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents was lower than across the West Midlands

Percentage of households where a parent lived with their adult children across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Disability in Wyre Forest

The percentage of Wyre Forest residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 3.1% to 4.1% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 14 (7.2%) reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities, compared with 7.7% in 2001. The percentage of Wyre Forest residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 89%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 3.5% in 2001 to 4.2% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability in Wyre Forest increased by 1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wyre Forest, the West Midlands and England that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities, March 2001 and March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

Wyre Forest saw the West Midlands' joint largest rise in the proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care, alongside Cannock Chase.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.7%) in Wyre Forest reported providing at least 50 hours of unpaid care each week, compared with 2.0% in 2001. The percentage that provided between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 1.1% to 1.4%.

Every local authority area across the West Midlands saw a rise in the proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care, as the regional average grew from 2.3% to 2.7%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Wyre Forest remained close to 2.7%

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Wyre Forest by care, March 2001 and March 2011

More people living alone

Wyre Forest saw the West Midlands' third-largest rise in the proportion of one-person households.

In 2011, just under 3 in 10 (30%) households in Wyre Forest had only one person, compared with 27% in 2001. The percentage of households comprising an unmarried couple increased from 9.4% to 10%.

Across the region, only Staffordshire Moorlands (from 25% to 28%) and Stafford (from 26% to 29%) saw a greater increase in the proportion of one-person households.

During this period, Wyre Forest overtook nine local authority areas, including Dudley and Shropshire, to become the West Midlands local authority area with the eighth-highest percentage of one-person households.

The percentage of households with only one person was higher than across the West Midlands

Percentage of households that comprised only one person across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Wyre Forest that rented privately increased from 6.8% to 13% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in seven (14%) households lived in social housing, compared with 15% in 2001. The percentage of Wyre Forest households that owned their home decreased from 76% to 71%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 7.3% in 2001 to 14% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Wyre Forest increased by 6.4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Wyre Forest, the West Midlands and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Wyre Forest working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 13% to 10% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.8%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.7% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 13% in 2001 to 9.4% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Wyre Forest decreased by 3.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Wyre Forest, the West Midlands and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Wyre Forest residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.9% to 6.0% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (79%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 67% in 2001. The percentage of Wyre Forest residents that described their health as fair decreased from 24% to 15%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 9.7% in 2001 to 6.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Wyre Forest decreased by 2.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wyre Forest, the West Midlands and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More adults are separated from partners

The percentage of adults in Wyre Forest that had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner increased from 11% to 13% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just under one in two (50%) people aged 16 and over said they were married, compared with 54% in 2001. The percentage of single people in Wyre Forest increased from 26% to 29%.

The proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 10% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 11% to 12%.

The proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner was higher than across the West Midlands

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they had divorced or broken up with a married or civil partner across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Wyre Forest residents that were unemployed increased from 3.0% to 4.2% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in two (53%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 56% in 2001. The percentage of Wyre Forest residents that were self-employed increased from 8.8% to 9.7%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 3.8% in 2001 to 5.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The rate of unemployment in Wyre Forest increased by 1.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Wyre Forest, the West Midlands and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Wyre Forest

The number of people in Wyre Forest from the White ethnic groups remained close to just over 95,000 between the last two censuses. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 98% to 97%.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across the West Midlands (from 89% to 83%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Wyre Forest from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from just under 940 in 2001 to about 1,400 in 2011 (from 1.0% to 1.4%). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from just under 570 to just under 1,000 (from 0.6% to 1.0%).

Just over 210 people (0.2%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from just over 140 in 2001 (0.2%).

The population from the White ethnic groups in Wyre Forest remained close to 97%

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Wyre Forest by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Wyre Forest

The number of people in Wyre Forest that described themselves as Muslim increased from just under 570 in 2001 to just over 680 in 2011. This represents a change from 0.6% to 0.7% of the local population.

Across the West Midlands, the percentage of people from this religious group increased from 4.1% to 6.7%, while across England the percentage went from 3.2% to 5.2%.

The number of people in Wyre Forest that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 77,000 in 2001 to about 67,000 in 2011 (from 79% to 69%). The number of people who described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 11,000 to about 23,000 (from 12% to 23%).

Just over 6,600 people (7.7%) did not state their religion, down from about 7,500 in 2001 (6.8%).

The population who identified as Muslim in Wyre Forest remained close to 0.7%

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Wyre Forest by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

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